Concealing and carrying means for burial caskets



Nov. 24, 1931. I E. A woLLlTz 1,333,547

CONCEALING AND CARRYING MEANS FOR BURIAL GASKETS Filed Dec, 26, 1929 2 Shets-Sheet 1 /7 1 INVENTOR. /3 $3 BY Q/M 3 ATTORNEY Nov; 24, 1931. E. A. WOLLITZ 1,333,547

CONCEALING AND CARRYING MEANS FOR BURIAL GASKETS Filed Dec. 26. 1929 2 Sheets-Sheet 2 INVENTOR.

A TTORNEY Patented Nov. 24, 1931 UNITED STATES PATENT orrlcs ERNEST A. WOLLITZ, OAKLAND, CALIFORNIA, ASSIGNOR OF ONE-HALF TO GILBERT H. PARMELE, OF OAKLAND, CALIFORNIA CONCEALING AND CARRYING MEANS FOR BURIAL GASKETS Application filed December 26, 1929. Serial No. 416,372.

-The. invention relates to means for both concealing a burial casket and supporting the casket for carrying.

An object of the invention isto provide a decorative outer casing for temporary disposal about a relatively undecorated and inexpensive burial casket for concealing the same, only the casket being used in actual interment or cremation and the said casing being used repeatedly with different caskets whereby funeral expenses may be minimized.

Another object is to provide a casing of the class described which is arranged to be placed in or removed from its operative relation to the casket-without requiring any displacement of'the'casket from a set position thereof.

A further object of the invention is to provide an improved unitary holder or carrier for acasket of the class described wherein casket-engaging elements thereof are normally disengaged from the casket and are arranged for operative engagement with the casket by and upon a lifting of the holder, said elements thereafter becoming disengaged from the casket when the latter is set down on a support therefor.

:Yet another object is to provide the aforesaid casket concealing and supporting means in a single unitary structure. I The invention possesses other objects and features of advantage, some of which,with the foregoing, will be set forth or be apparent in the following description of a preferred embodiment of the invention which is illustrated. in the accompanying drawings, in which:

. Figurel is a perspective elevation of a casing member embodying the present invention.

Figure 4: is a transverse section of the casket after sealing for its final disposal.

Figure 5 is alongitudinal section of the casing and casket assembly.

Figure 6 is an enlarged view of a catch device shown in Figure 3.

Figure 7 is an outside elevation of the device shown in Figure 6.

In many instances, an item which is relatively large among funeral expenses is the cost of the casket or coilin which is buried or cremated with the deceased, an ornate, and thereforeexpensive, casket being though necessary for the sake of appearances. By means of the present invention, the requirements of appearance are arranged to be satisfiedwithout necessitating the purchase of an ornate casket, such being accomplished by surrounding a plain and inexpensive casket with a removable and ornate casing which may be the property of the undertaker and may be used with the casket on a rental basis. The fact that the removable casing is not part of the casket proper is arranged to be concealed from the mourners, and the costs respecting the casket are materially reduced. Since the casket will usually be carried in public, means are provided for supporting the casket within the casing for carrying therewith, the casing being provided with handles such as those usually placed on caskets. The latter and other features are incorporated with the casing structure of my invention, and a typical embodiment thereof will now be described.

As particularly illustrated, a casing 8 is provided for enclosing a casket 9. The casket 9 may bea plain rectangular box having sides 11, ends 12, and a bottom 13 fixed together to provide a receptacle having an op en top, a lid llbeing provided for screwed-down mounting at the top of the casket for sealing a body therewithin; the lid 14 is shown in place in Figure 4. In the present instance, the casket 9 is shown as of wood. The casing 8 is open at the bottom, and includes side walls 15 and end walls 16 cooperative to define a space for receiving the casket 9; in this manner, the

casing is arranged to be placed about the casket with itswalls in spaced relation from opposed walls of the casket. Preferably, and as particularly shown, the bottom casing edges are arranged to engage the same supporting surface 17 on which thecasket ing the casket fronr a set position thereof;

I clean and sanitary.- 1

I space and overthe this feature is particularly valuble in removing the casing from about the casket just before interment or "cremation, as from a grave bo ttom or conveyor platform. The casing 8 is desirably constructedfentirely 0-fmetal whereby it may be most readily kept Preferably,and as shown,:the casing 8 is provided with a=cover 18. V Inv the present instance the cover 18' ishinged'to a casing side ,wall15, and is provided withan opening 19 having a suitable closure'QLC'The opening '19 it is noted, isv provided for viewing the face of the deceased, and the closure 21 maybe transparent'or opaque, as desired; as shown, the closure 21 comprises an opaque plate hinged to the'cover at wedge of the opening 19. E xteriorly, the casingiwalls and top are formed in a more or less decorative manner,

and the handles 22 and 23 mounted at the i casingsides and ends respectively complete an assembly which appears'as a usual deco-j rated casket. v[The exact degree andcharacter ofdecoration provided by the casing and handles-is, of course, a matter ofdesign, it being essential only that 'the'appearance of the casing be pleasing and lacking in cheap IIQSSs r I As is usual, the casket is lined with padding 24, and for present purposesthe free edge portion 2-5 ofsaid padding extends from and over the top edges of the casket sides and between said sides and the inner. faces of the casing wall to conceal the factthat the easing .is not a partof the casket, this feature being particularly disclosed in F igures3 and 5, In this manner, the casket is entirely concealed within the casing and the appearance of the assembly is that of'the casing; It is noted'that the use of the casing cover is not essential to the present assembly. as far as concealment of the casket is concerned. WVhen the casket lid 14'is tobe applied, the liningportiorr-QS is folded within the casket body-therein asis shown iniFigure 4. v

a For lifting nd moving the casing and cas-, ket assembly as a unit, means are provided for fixing these members together when and as required. In the present instance, said means arecontrolled in accordance with the disposal of the side handles 22 by which the casing is arranged to-be carried by pail-bearers. As particularly shown, the handles 22 each comprise a plurality of arms 31 hinged in a line to and along each casing side 15 and connected at their free ends by means of a bar 32 which provides a common handle grip a fixed stop on the casket side. In the present instance, the handles also swing, but the swinging of a handle to an operative position with respect to the casing is arranged to actuate one or more levers 33 forming part of the catcliesfor engaging the casket whereby a lifting of the casing from the supporting surface therefor by means of the handles '22 is arranged to effect a lifting of thecasket with it. w

---As particularly. brought out in Figures 3, 6 and 7, eaicharm 31 is pivoted on a pin 34 ex? tending between extending'ears 35 of a plate 36 mountedon the casingwall 15. The lever 33 is also pivoted on the pin 34, and the'plate 36 and wall 15. are provided withv registering openings between the ears 35 forcthe inward extension of the lever 33 from its pivot point. T he position of the lever 33 is determined by that of the arm 31 and appropriate engagement of the; arm and lever is therefore provided for, Inthe present instance, the pivoted end 37 of thearm31' is; provided with parallel and plane .faces 38 and 39' at inner and 44 opposite the arm'faces38 and 39 respectively are angular-1y related whereby one or the other of the socket" faces is spaced from the opposed arinface when the arm is in one or the other of its extreme positions'in the socket It is noted that the lever portions providing the faces43 and 44 arelever arms of the lever 33 whereby the inner -arm 45 of the lever is arranged to be positively urged downwardly when the handle arm'31 is swung outwardly toward its operative position, and

j is thereafter urged upwardly when the handle arm 31 swings downwardly toits normal and inoperative POSltlOH,

The lever arm 45 operates a swinging catch bar 46 provided at its lower end with a hook 47 for engagement beneath the bottom of the casket. As particularly shown, the lever arm 45 is provided with a socket or slot 48 at its extremity for the reception of an end 49 of the bar 46 whereby the bar will be rocked as the lever is rocked. Preferably, and as shown, the bar 46 is piy oted between the sides of a member 51 of generally channel section, said-member being fixed in upright position below the lever opening in the wall 15 and at the inner side of said wall. To provide for guiding the casing as it is lowered over the casket, the lower end edges of the sides of the members 51 are preferably bevelled as shown at 52 in Figures 3 and 6.

It will now be noted that the operative relation of the parts of the catch mechanism described is such that an outward swinging of a handle to its operative position depresses the lever portions 33 to so rock the catch bars 46 as to engage the hooks 47 thereof beneath the casket bottom, the side of the casket serving asa stop for the movement of the bar, lever and handle in turn. To facilitate said engagement of the hook 47 beneath the easket, the latter is preferably mounted on blocks 53, said blocks either being loose or fixed to the bottom of the casket as may be desirable and holding the casket very slightly above the latches to allow their free swinging beneath the bottom. After the opposite sets of catches are engaged, the casing and casket may be lifted together for transportation, the lift being accomplished through the handles. hen the casket and casing are again set on a floor or other surface, the blocks 53 being in place, the casing is lowered to release the hooks 47 and the swinging of the handles to their depending, and inoperative, positions positively moves the hooks from beneath the casket, it being noted that the members 51 then enclose the catch portions of the bars 46 as guards therefor, and that the latter disposal of the hooks ]S a normal one for the lVhile in the present instance the casing 8 functions both as a concealing and lifting means for the casket, it is obvious that where concealment is not required or desired a casket engaging mechanism such as that described might be incorporated with the structure of an open crate or frame for disposal about the casket, said frame then functioning solely as a carrying holder for thecasket. The handles 23 do not in any way engage the casket when they are extended for use, and so are used for removing the casing from around the casket.

From the foregoing description taken in connection with the accompanying drawings, the advantages of the construction and method of operation will be readily understood by those skilled in the art to which the invention appertains, and while I have described the principle of operation, together with the device which I now consider to be the best embodiment thereof, I desire to have it understood that the device shown is merely illustrative, and that such changes may be made, when desired, as fall within the scope of the appended claims.

Having thus described my invention, I claim as new and desire to secure by Letters Patentof the United States the followmg:

1. In combination with a casket, a casing for disposal about said casket, lifting handles at the exterior sides of said casing, arms fixed to said handles and hinged to the sides of the casing to permit the handles to be swung in a vertical plane from depending and inoperative positions thereof to operative positions of transverse extension from said sides of the casing, catch bars mounted at the interior sides of said casing between the same and the sides of the casket, said catch bars being pivotally mounted for swinging movement laterally of the casket, said catch bars having hooked ends for engagement beneath the bottom of the casket, and an operative connection between said handles and said catch bars whereby swinging movement of the handles to operative positions will engage the catch bars with the casket and swinging movement of the handles to inoperative positions will disengage the catch bars from the casket.

2. In combination with a casket, a casing for disposal about said casket, lifting handles at the exterior sides of the casing, arms fixed to said handles and hinged to the sides of the casing to permit the handles to be swung in a vertical. plane from depending and inoperative positions thereof to operative positions of transverse extension from said sides of the casing, catch bars mounted at the interior sides of said casing between the same and the sides of the casket, said catch bars being pivotally mounted for swinging movement laterally of the casket, said catch bars having hooked ends for engagement beneath the bottom of the casket, levers pivotal about the same axis as said arms and projecting through the casing, the inner end of said levers being bifurcated and engaging the upper ends of the catch bars whereby swinging movement of the levers will cause operation of the catch bars, and means whereby operation of the handles will cause operation of the levers and consequently operation of the catch bars.

In testimony whereof, I afiix my signature.

ERNEST A. WOLLITZ. 

